A very popular and rapidly growing method of travel for business and vacation is staying at timeshares, hotels, motels, suites and resorts that offer kitchen or kitchenette facilities for preparing meals. The problem is that most people spend a great deal of money buying all of their cooking foods, spices, oils, herbs, fruits, vegetables, alcohol and mixers when they get to their destination. Many travelers will attempt to use plastic storage baggies for non-liquid items and an array of different leak-resistant containers for some of their liquid items, but most have experienced leakage of some sort in their luggage due to breakage or exploding due to altitude pressure changes. Because their containers are all different sizes and shapes, they are not convenient to pack and may be difficult to find, especially if multiple stays are required in route to their final destination. When travelers end up buying their foods, spices and liquids in route, or at their final destination, they end up having to buy much more than they can use during their stay, and consequently end up leaving a majority of their purchases on the counter as waste to be thrown away upon their departure. Over a one week stay, this can amount to several hundred dollars of wasted purchases. Therefore, the need for a solution is clearly evident.
The present invention is a set of leak-proof, interlocking, stackable travel containers which can be used for carrying foods, spices, liquids, powders, cosmetics, medications, special dietary foods and any other comparable items. The present invention enables travelers who prefer to prepare their own meals, while traveling for business or pleasure, via air, automobile while hiking, biking, camping, or staying at a facility with kitchen availability to take spices, herbs, oils, foods, liquors & condiments in the exact amounts they need for the duration of their stay away from home. The invention is designed of 8 equal widths but different height containers ranging from 0.5 oz. to 19 oz., which allows for 42 different stacking options that will fit in a light weight, leak resistant travel case in columns of 3 stacks of variable sized containers based on user choice. The invention provides a leak-proof, light weight, durable, water clear, well organized group of containers that use up very little packing space, reduce user costs and reduce user waste of products that would otherwise have to be purchased at their destination, and most likely left behind as wasted product upon their departure. These containers provide travelers with a leak-proof method of organization, flexibility and convenience that no other product on the market today can provide. This invention was designed by a traveler to provide a solution to problems met by an increasing number of travelers around the world.
The present invention has a target market of outdoor, sports and travel enthusiasts or any other market requiring similar storage needs. The present invention may also be offered to a target audience of timeshare owners/renters, travelers staying at suites with kitchens, auto travelers, R.V. travelers, hunters, fisherman, motor cyclists, tailgaters for sporting events and concerts, boating enthusiasts, camping enthusiasts, hiking enthusiasts, children having sleepovers with friends, persons traveling with special dietary food needs, persons carrying medications among others. The present invention is intended to target any individual or groups of users, with a primary focus on adults and adolescents. In the preferred embodiment, the present invention may be sold all together with a variety of container units in one offering as a starter kit with travel case, as well as sold separately based on the individual user's preferences.
Currently, existing inventions only serve small, specialized markets that do not include the much broader market reached by this proposed product. The present invention is far more flexible in its ability to carry diversified liquids, foods, and spices as well as products requiring refrigeration. It can take on several shapes for packing, quantity and carrying needs. It is dishwasher safe, freezer safe, FDA approved and BPA free. It offers a “Starter Kit” to allow customers a specific assortment of sizes for their first and ongoing purchases. In addition, it offers the purchase of additional cylinder configurations for customizing the starter kit and/or building an additional kit based on customer needs.